--- title: Barack Obama to Democrats: Look Out for the American People description: The President met with Democrats on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to discuss strategies for protecting his signature health law under Trump canonical: https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-04T17:14:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T13:59:13.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obama Meets With Democrats on Future of Health Care Law og:description: "Look out for the American people," he told them. og:url: https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt80c130be6b8e0bee/6988b45e97cdff36d86af02f/gettyimages-630945660.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: President Obama Meets With Democratic Lawmakers On Capitol Hill og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obama Meets With Democrats on Future of Health Care Law twitter:description: "Look out for the American people," he told them. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt80c130be6b8e0bee/6988b45e97cdff36d86af02f/gettyimages-630945660.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:55 video:published: 2017-01-04 section: politics topics: Obamacare repeal, healthcare reform, incoming Trump administration, congressional Republicans, market-based healthcare, legislative strategy, executive action genre: news, political speech tones: assertive, confident, critical, urgent emotions: determination (high), criticism (medium), reassurance (low) sentiment: neutral audience: voters, health policy observers, Republican lawmakers, healthcare consumers people: Mike Pence, Donald Trump, Barack Obama organizations: House of Representatives, Senate, Republican Party products: Obamacare content_suitability: politics [00:00-00:55]; health controversy [00:11-00:28] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # President Obama to Democrats: 'Look Out for the American People' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d54a6142-b61f-4cb2-9aa5-c804df08b259&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d54a6142-b61f-4cb2-9aa5-c804df08b259&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=d54a6142-b61f-4cb2-9aa5-c804df08b259&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d54a6142-b61f-4cb2-9aa5-c804df08b259&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Mike Pence Says Repealing Obamacare is "First Order Of Business" [Watch (HLS stream): Mike Pence Says Repealing Obamacare is "First Order Of Business"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cfyTSIWL.m3u8) (0:55)  _Published 2017-01-04. Donald Trump’s “first order of business” will be to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and replace it, but Republicans must avoid hurting consumers as they do that, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Vice President-elect Mike Pence states that repealing and replacing Obamacare is the first order of business for the incoming Trump administration. He argues Obamacare has failed and was rejected by the American people. He says Republicans are coordinating with House and Senate leadership on legislative and executive action toward a market-based healthcare system. ## Key points - Repealing and replacing Obamacare is the first order of business for the incoming administration. (00:00) - Pence says Obamacare has failed and has been rejected by the American people. (00:11) - Step one of keeping promises will be to repeal Obamacare. (00:18) - Pence says the promises made about Obamacare were all broken. (00:28) - Pence says Republicans must remind the American people of what they already know about Obamacare. (00:28) - Pence says the team is working on a strategy with House and Senate leadership for legislative and executive action. (00:34) - The stated goal is an orderly and smooth transition to a market-based healthcare reform system. (00:45) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:18] Repeal and replace Obamacare as priority. Pence declares repealing and replacing Obamacare the first order of business and says Obamacare has failed. - [00:18 to 00:34] Keeping promises and broken promises. Pence says repeal is step one in keeping promises and that Obamacare's promises were broken. - [00:34 to 00:55] Strategy for orderly healthcare transition. Pence describes working with congressional leadership on legislative and executive action toward a market-based system. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Mike Pence: "The first order of business is to refill and replace Obama care." - [00:11] Mike Pence: "Obama care has failed, and it's been rejected by the American people." - [00:18] Mike Pence: "Step one will be to repeal Obamacare." - [00:28] Mike Pence: "The promises that were made were all broken." - [00:45] Mike Pence: "to ensure that an orderly and smooth transition to a market based healthcare reform system is achieved." ## Questions this video answers - What is the first order of business for the incoming administration? [00:00] - Why does Pence say Obamacare should be repealed? [00:11] - How are Republicans planning to carry out the repeal? [00:34] - What kind of healthcare system do Republicans want to transition to? [00:45] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-00:55]: Discussion of a major partisan policy repeal of a national healthcare law. - health controversy [00:11-00:28]: Pence characterizes Obamacare as failed and its promises as broken, a contested political claim. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:59 PM UTCPublished: Jan 4, 2017 5:14 PM UTC President Obama visited Capitol Hill today to deliver a message to the Democratic caucus about his signature health care law: “look out for the American people,” he told reporters as he sauntered out of the Capitol. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:59 PM UTCPublished: Jan 4, 2017 5:14 PM UTC President Obama visited Capitol Hill today to deliver a message to the Democratic caucus about his signature health care law: “Look out for the American people,” he told reporters as he sauntered out of the Capitol. In a closed-door meeting with Democrats, the President instructed his colleagues not to let Republicans off the hook for their efforts to gut his health care law without a replacement, a plan that has already been set in motion by Republican Senators. Obama’s message to Democrats was that they needed to show a united front and put the burden of health care changes on Republicans. “What the President is doing is helpful because he is walking through various ways to take one-sixth of the American economy, which is health care, and putting it into English,” said Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. Representative Elijah Cummings told reporters after the meeting that Democrats would seek to hold the GOP accountable for what will come to the more than 20 million Americans who have gained health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. “The question that has to be asked of the Republican Party is, Are you making things worse for the American people or better?” the Maryland Democrat said. “And do you have a replacement?” At a press conference after the meeting, Democrats described the President’s message as “inspiring” and said they have a great deal of optimism about the future of the law, since they believe that Republicans will pay a political price for whatever happens to American’s health care. In the meantime, however, Democrats are chiding Republicans for seeking to repeal the law without a replacement. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer spoke first, comparing Republicans to a “dog who caught the bus.” “They have no idea what to put in place of the Affordable Care Act,” Schumer said, arguing that the GOP can’t keep the parts of the Affordable Care Act that Americans like without seriously disrupting the entire health-insurance marketplace. “We’re here today to warn the American people that the plan to repeal Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA will make America sick again.” “First the Republicans have to accept the responsibility of showing us what they’re going to put in place of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise they’re inviting chaos and people lose their insurance,” added Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. “That’s the reality of repealing Obamacare.” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at Wednesday’s press briefing that the President expressed to his colleagues that he was confident in their ability to go up against Republicans in the fight ahead, telling him that he was envious that they’d be the ones to carry it out. Earnest said Wednesday the President was not totally against Democrats and Republicans having conversations about fixing the law, but said an outright repeal should be off the table. The President’s effort to rally Democrats was matched by Vice President-elect Mike Pence who met with Republicans and held a press conference with GOP leadership during Obama’s hour-long meeting with Democrats. Pence said Wednesday that tackling Obamacare was the first order of business for President-elect Donald Trump, who he said would issue executive orders to dismantle regulations and deliver on campaign promises on day one. “The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare,” Pence said, adding that it needs to be done “not just as a promise kept.” The repeal process was set in motion on Tuesday when a budget resolution that lays the groundwork was introduced in the Senate; that resolution calls for repeal legislation by Jan. 27\. Yet while Republicans are determined to repeal the law, there have been plans floated to delay it for up to three years in order to craft a replacement, though some conservatives want action to happen faster. Republican Senators Rand Paul and Susan Collins have both said an Obamacare replacement would be needed immediately. The GOP is also facing warnings from President-elect Trump and Pence, who said Wednesday he told the Congress to take caution on repealing the law as to not leave struggling families out in the cold. The warnings, however, likely will not stymie efforts to repeal the health care law, which House majority leader Kevin McCarthy called a failure during a press conference on Wednesday. “Everything President Obama promised about health care has failed,” McCarthy said. “We are so thankful that we have a new Administration coming that had the wisdom to listen and the courage to lead.” Both Republicans and Democrats plan in the days ahead to deliver a message to the American people that lays out the “truth” about the Affordable Care Act; though they disagree on what that means. Republicans suggested they would continue to push blame on Democrats for the issues many have with the law, including high costs. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats appeared eager to make Republicans pay for any changes that come without a replacement. During the Democratic press conference, a placard carrying their new anti-repeal rallying cry, “Make America Sick Again,” was placed front and center. And it was there that House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said the only thing Republicans’ “repeal and replace” plan had going for it was “alliteration.” _— With reporting by Sam Frizell_ ## Transcript [00:00] The first order of business is to refill and replace Obama [00:04] care. And that was our message today and will be our [00:07] message on Camphold hill, and it needs to be done. [00:11] Obama care has failed, and it's been rejected by [00:15] the American people. But now it's the time. First, to keep [00:18] our promises. Step one will be to repeal Obamacare. But as [00:22] the President- elect said today, and I admonished [00:26] members of the House Republican congress today. It's [00:28] important that we, they remind the American people what [00:31] they already know about Obamacare. The promises that [00:34] were made were all broken. We're working on a strategy [00:37] and consort with the leadership Of the House and the [00:40] Senate for both a legislative and executive [00:45] action agenda to ensure that an orderly and [00:49] smooth transition to a market based healthcare reform [00:53] system is achieved. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/"},"headline":"President Obama to Democrats: 'Look Out for the American People'","datePublished":"2017-01-04T17:14:10.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T13:59:13.000Z","description":"They strategized about protecting Obamacare under his successor","url":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/","keywords":["Congress","Health Care","democrats","republicans","Barack Obama","Affordable Care Act","White House"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt80c130be6b8e0bee/6988b45e97cdff36d86af02f/gettyimages-630945660.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt80c130be6b8e0bee/6988b45e97cdff36d86af02f/gettyimages-630945660.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Obama Meets With Democratic Lawmakers On Capitol Hill","caption":"President Obama Meets With Democratic Lawmakers On Capitol Hill","creditText":"Aaron P. Bernstein—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/","name":"President Obama to Democrats: 'Look Out for the American People'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Obama to Democrats: \"Look Out For the American People\"","description":"President Obama visited Capitol Hill today to deliver a message to the Democratic caucus about his signature health care law: “look out for the American people,” he told reporters as he sauntered out of the Capitol.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/qse8sFPK/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-01-04T19:37:30.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/qse8sFPK.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/","duration":"PT17S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mike Pence Says Repealing Obamacare is \"First Order Of Business\"","description":"Donald Trump’s “first order of business” will be to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and replace it, but Republicans must avoid hurting consumers as they do that, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/cfyTSIWL/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-01-04T17:23:10.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cfyTSIWL.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/","duration":"PT55S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4621778/barack-obama-congress-obamacare-health-care-repeal/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```